Sport Fishing Tournament underway in Riviera Maya

The annual Don Andres Garcia Lavin sport fishing tournament is well under way in Puerto Morelos in Mexico’s beautiful Riviera Maya, which is about 40 minutes south of Cancun.

As the most anticipated event of the year, this marks the tournament’s sixth contest.

The hugely popular annual event is being held from May 8 to 10. Local boat, “King Mackerel” is hoping to win the sixth edition. Last year, he missed winning by two inches of the official measurement of the winner, which was a white marlin. However, he did score within the top five.

José Luis Hidalgo has spent the past month in preparation of the state tournament.

“The truth is that for us this is the most anticipated tournament, participated in others in the state of Quintana Roo, but this one I hope anxiously for a month began with the preparation and we are ready, we changed lines tied the hooks, reel change, everything is ready ,” said José Luis Hidalgo.

The boat owner said it is also a tournament with great prestige, “is a good organization, they have met the award and it’s a nice experience, because it is a tournament in which we participated for five years and everything is excellent,” he said.

Adding “Puerto Morelos is a privileged place for fishing, not like other places where we have to move many miles away. Here is close, only 2 or 3 kilometers and you can fish outside the protected reef. This tournament is a tradition and we hope that the prize will remain here, “ he said.

The King Mackerel will have aboard Jose Luis Hidalgo, Tony Ricardez and his father and friends. “More than anything it is familiar and now we just want luck because it is 99 percent luck and one percent technique,” he concluded.

The tournament kicked off yesterday with a captains dinner at the Hotel de la Marina El Cid. The fishing event itself is set to begin May 9 at 8:00 a.m. at the main fishier pier of Puerto Morelos located next to the leaning lighthouse.

Boats will return to the same pier at 5:00 p.m. to weight in any catches before heading out again on Sunday. Boats are due back at 3:00 p.m. to begin day two of weighing in catches. Ceremonies are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at which time prizes are handed out along with one year’s worth of big-fish bragging rights.